r on her port
quarter, turning her broadside-on to us, and her foremast went over the
side. Instantly a dozen voices shouted excitedly--"The Frenchman is
ashore, sir!"

Yes, there was no doubt about it; for now every sea as it rolled in made
a clean breach over her, and we could see her lift to it, rolling over
at every blow almost to her beam-ends.

"Ay," muttered the skipper--I was close at his elbow, having followed
him that I might be at hand if required--"ay, she is ashore, fast
enough, and she will never come off again, for an hour of such pounding
as she is now getting will make an end of her. We shall be very lucky
indeed if we do not follow. Hillo! Mr Delamere, is that you? Just
find Mr Howard, and say I shall be obliged if he can come to me on the
quarter-deck."

"Ay, ay, sir," I answered, touching my hat as I started down the
poop-ladder. I guessed that I should find the first lieutenant on the
gun deck, and there he was, superintending the securing of the guns--a
task which needed to be done very carefully and thoroughly; for now that
the ship had been brought to the wind she was rolling and pitching most
furiously, and if one of our long 24-pounders should chance to strike
adrift, the consequences might very easily be disastrous. I delivered
the Captain's message, and then followed the first lieutenant on deck,
where he joined the skipper and the master, who were already standing at
the capstan, with the chart spread open before them on its head. I had
no good and sufficient excuse for lingering near them, and therefore
passed over to the lee-side of the deck, as became a well-trained
midshipman; consequently I only caught a word here and there as I
staggered fore and aft in the lee scuppers. I heard the Captain say
something about "Audierne Bay," and then, a little later, the master
said something about "land takes a westerly trend--Penmarks;" and,
finally, the Captain, as though closing a discussion, said, "Very well,
then, we will try her, while there is still room, and the sooner the
better. Get the mainsail on her again at once, Mr Howard."

I surmised, from this last remark on the part of the Captain, that we
were about to make an attempt to tack ship; and indeed it was full time
for something to be done, for the breakers were now distinctly visible
for a space of about two miles on the lee beam, and they seemed to be
rather trending out athwart our bows. It would, therefore, soon be
n